This one time, Bhaggava, I was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Now at that time the naked ascetic Kaḷāramaṭṭaka was residing in Vesālī. And in the Vajjian capital he had reached the peak of material possessions and fame. He had undertaken these seven vows. ‘As long as I live, I will be a naked ascetic, not wearing clothes. As long as I live, I will be celibate, not having sex. As long as I live, I will consume only meat and alcohol, not eating rice and porridge. And I will not go past the following tree shrines near Vesālī: the Udena shrine to the east, the Gotamaka to the south, the Sattamba to the west, and the Bahuputta to the north.’ And it was due to undertaking these seven vows that he had reached the peak of material possessions and fame.

So, Bhaggava, Sunakkhatta went to see Kaḷāramaṭṭaka and asked him a question. But when he couldn’t answer it, he displayed irritation, hate, and bitterness. So Sunakkhatta thought, ‘I’ve offended the holy man, the perfected one, the ascetic. I mustn’t create lasting harm and suffering for myself!’

Then Sunakkhatta came to me, bowed, and sat down to one side. I said to him, ‘Don’t you claim to be an ascetic, a follower of the Sakyan, you silly man?’

‘But why does the Buddha say this to me?’

‘Didn’t you go to see the naked ascetic Kaḷāramaṭṭaka and ask him a question? But when he couldn’t answer it, he displayed irritation, hate, and bitterness. Then you thought, “I’ve offended the holy man, the perfected one, the ascetic. I mustn’t create lasting harm and suffering for myself!”’

‘Yes, sir. But sir, are you jealous of perfected ones?’

‘I’m not jealous of the perfected ones, you silly man. Rather, you should give up this harmful misconception that has arisen in you. Don’t create lasting harm and suffering for yourself!

That naked ascetic Kaḷāramaṭṭaka, who you imagine to be a true holy man, will shortly be clothed, living with a partner, eating rice and porridge, having gone past all the shrines near Vesālī. And he will die after losing all his fame.’

And that’s exactly what happened.

Sunakkhatta heard about this. He came to me, bowed, and sat down to one side. I said to him, ‘What do you think, Sunakkhatta? Did the declaration I made about Kaḷāramaṭṭaka turn out to be correct, or not?’

‘It turned out to be correct.’

‘What do you think, Sunakkhatta? If that is so, has a superhuman demonstration of psychic power been performed or not?’

‘Clearly, sir, a superhuman demonstration of psychic power has been performed.’

‘Though I perform such a superhuman demonstration of psychic power you say this: “But sir, the Buddha never performs any superhuman demonstrations of psychic power for me.” See how far you have strayed!’ Though I spoke to Sunakkhatta like this, he still left this teaching and training, like someone on the highway to hell.